


The Ruling Heart

by little_dhampir



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Episode: s04e11 The Hunter's Heart, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-09
Updated: 2017-10-09
Packaged: 2019-01-15 10:58:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,207
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12319662
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/little_dhampir/pseuds/little_dhampir
Summary: Mithian is ready to marry Arthur when she arrives in Camelot but that doesn't mean her heart is fully in it.





	The Ruling Heart

**Author's Note:**

> I signed up super late for canon fest to take on a previously returned episode so this is super short; sorry.
> 
> My laptop died last week, thank god I could repair it but that's the reason why I am A) posting late and B) posting unbetaed so it won't be any later.
> 
> Thank you Canon Mods for being so understandable and thank you Merlin Chat for believing in me. This is for all of you. :)

Arriving in Camelot felt strange; Mithian hid it well, she was a princess and knew what was expected of her, but that didn't mean she was fully happy with the situation. She had always known that one day she would need to leave her kingdom, her home, behind to marry a far away prince. She was a woman, tradition expected her to be a ruler’s wife, not a ruler herself.

“Camelot is so beautiful, it must be a dream to live here,” Merek, one of her knights, said, trying to cheer her up a bit. Merek had been a knight of Nemeth for three years now but he had known the princess for much longer. They were childhood friends, despite their difference in ranks; his mother had been the handmaiden of Queen Amideia, Mithian’s mother until her death. Mithian had insisted on him coming along to Camelot as one of her knights, she needed a familiar face on her side.

“I heard the prince is supposed to be quite handsome,” Merek smirked at her, ignoring the looks they got from the other knights; they were far enough away from home to enjoy their banter without the rules of society crushing them down. They had been lost in their own world for most of the trip.

“So you are interested in the looks of men now,” Mithian replied after she swallowed down the first words that had come to her mind. In her eyes the prince could never be as handsome as Merek was. 

She knew she could never say those thoughts aloud, whatever she was feeling could never go beyond what they were now, their friendship already breaking too many rules. She tried concentrating on her immediate arrival at the castle gates instead.

Merek wasn't the only one who had heard about Arthur; Mithian herself had heard a lot about the handsome prince of Camelot in the past, not only about his good looks but also about his bravery and his kind heart. She knew she was lucky, to get married to someone her age and not to some old childless king, in need of a young queen to bear him an heir to the throne.

Upon seeing him for the first time, only a few minutes later, she realised she was indeed lucky. Even if her heart wasn't fully in it, she could recognize the good qualities of her future husband and his kingdom. 

The chamber she was staying in was beautifully decorated and Mithian tried to imagine herself living her. She couldn't, not yet. For her, home would always be the kingdom of Nemeth. A knock brought her back to reality instead of her future.

“Come in,” she said, knowing it had to be Merek on the other side. He entered, still wearing chainmail. They hadn't exchanged words since they had ridden through the gates. Now he smiled at her as if he could read her thoughts.

“This is a beautiful chamber; you will feel like at home here and soon this will be your home.”

“Our home,” Mithian replied. She had insisted on Merek staying with her in Camelot, unable to bare losing him. It had been her only wish upon being told about her future as Queen of Camelot.

“Our home,” Merek said and just for a second Mithian was sure she saw something in his eyes. Some warmth that was too intimate even for them.

“You must get ready for the feast, my princess,” he continued before leaving her chamber again, leaving her alone.

The feast was more entertaining than she had expected. Arthur was good company and she got along with him better than she had hoped for. She should be happy to marry him; she really should, but somewhere deep down, she still believed in true love and that part of her was yearning for something more.

When they touched, even just for a friendly second, her heart didn’t beat faster, she didn't feel any warmth or goosebumps along her skin. It felt the same way as if a servant had touched her, practical and emotionless. 

Mithian craved touch that would burn her alive, touch that would give her comfort the same way Merek’s did. As she lay awake in her bed after the feast, she tried to shut bet brain up but every time she closed her eyes and imagined marrying Arthur, the pictures in her head turned blurry, unable to truly form.

She tried harder the next day, to get to know the prince better. Breakfast with Arthur and his servant was nice. She knew they had a lot more in common than she had presumed and the prince seemed to be delighted by her love for hunting but she knew something was wrong. Merlin's behaviour indicated something she couldn't understand, maybe that's why she was less surprised by Arthur's refusal to marry her when she found out later than she should have been.

That night Mithian lay awake again, unable to sleep for the second time in a row. She had missed Merek that day, her duty to learn more about Arthur had kept them apart as he trained with the knights of Camelot, soon to become one of them. She was hoping to see him again tomorrow, maybe he could join the hunt that was planned for the next day. With a sigh she turned over, she had to learn to be without him.

Mithian realised something was wrong with the hunt fairly quickly. Merlin kept behaving suspicious and halfway through Arthur shut down as well, as if some invisible line had been crossed and he only now realised what was about to happen.

When Arthur told her he could not marry her, she was confused at first. She could not understand how he could so easily break their alliance but listening to his reasons she had understood. He wasn't in love with her and probably never would be and as much as she tried to deny it, she was secretly relieved.

Mithian liked Arthur, well enough for her to want him at least to be happy, a happiness she would probably never find.

When asking him about the woman still holding his heart she expected another princess. To hear him talk about his love for a servant girl shocked her but the way he talked, she wished, just for a second he would feel that way about her. She would give the world to be loved like this.

“Are you ok?” Merek asked once they had left the city gates behind them. The rest of the knights were riding in front of them, giving them the feeling of privacy.

“Yes,” she said and surprised herself by smiling. Arthur may not love her but that was okay, just listening to him talk about love made her believe that it was real and that maybe she too could find it somewhere. 

“I can't wait to arrive back in Nemeth,” Merek changed the topic. “The food in Camelot was horrible. Whatever they served, it tasted like rat.”

Mithian laughed out loud and looked at her friend. He too was laughing, and just for a moment Mithian wondered if maybe she had found her love a long time ago.


End file.
